Angelina Brand Smoked Roundscad Recalled for Possible Botulism Risk

Arko Foods International of Los Angeles, California, just issued a recall for its Angelina Brand Smoked Roundscad, 8-oz packs, because of a possible botulism risk, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just announced. The Clostridium botulinum bacterium can cause life-threatening illness or death and consumers are warned not to consume the product even if it does not look or smell spoiled, as the botulism risk could be present.

Angelina Brand Smoked Roundscad was distributed in California, Nevada, Arizona, Washington, New York, Texas, Maryland, and Florida through retail stores, supermarkets, and wholesale distributors. The product is packaged in 8-ounce bags with a header indicating Angelina brand, which were distributed to the market from 2009 to January 2011.

The product is imported from the Philippines and is uneviscerated and it may have the potential to cause Botulism. To date, no illnesses have been reported.

Consumers who have purchased and who still have Angelina Brand Smoked Roundscad in stock are urged to return the potentially contaminated fish to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers who have questions may contact the company at 1.323.257.1888 from Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Pacific Standard Time.

As weâ€™ve previously explained, contamination with Clostridium botulinum spores can lead to botulism, a paralytic foodborne illness.

Botulism symptoms can include: General weakness, dizziness, double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech and trouble with speaking or swallowing, and dry mouth. Difficulty in breathing; weakness of other musclesâ€”for instance, muscle weakness that starts at the shoulders and moves progressively down the bodyâ€”abdominal distension, and constipation may also be common symptoms. Botulism poisoning is extremely neurotoxic and can cause paralysis of breathing muscles, which can lead to death without treatment and respiratory ventilation in about eight percent of cases. People with compromised immune systems, the elderly, and children have a higher risk for botulism symptoms.

Complications can include infection and aspiration pneumonia, long-term weakness, respiratory distress, and long-term nervous system problems. While antibiotics are often used in treatment, they do not always resolve the foodborne illness.

Symptoms of botulism occur anywhere from eight to 36 hours after consuming food contaminated with the Clostridium botulinum toxin. Only a very small amount of this toxin is sufficient to lead to severe poisoning.